Japan Rugby League One Round 6 sprung some surprises before the break, but this weekend’s Round 7 saw the biggest upset of the season as 9th placed Mie Honda Heat defeated defending champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo at home! In a high-scoring try fest, Kobelco Kobe Steelers beat Shizuoka BlueRevs in a game that yielded more than 100 points, and Yokohama Canon Eagles also got their first win of the season.
Japan Rugby League One Round 6 sprung some surprises before the break, but this weekend’s Round 7 saw the biggest upset of the season as 9th placed Mie Honda Heat defeated defending champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo at home! In a high-scoring try fest, Kobelco Kobe Steelers beat Shizuoka BlueRevs in a game that yielded more than 100 points, and Yokohama Canon Eagles also got their first win of the season.
In Division 2, Hanazono Kintetsu Liners came out on top in the battle of the top two sides against Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks, and now are the only undefeated club in the Division.
Furthermore, three matches were suspended on Sunday due to heavy snow: the Tokyo Sungoliath v Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars in D1, LeRIRO Fukuoka v Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions in D2, and LeRIRO Fukuoka v Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions in D3 with the JRLO to confirm wether games will be rescheduled.
Division 1
Saturday February 7
Kobelco Kobe Steelers 60-45 Shizuoka BlueRevs; at Hyogo
The hosts, Kobelco Kobe Steelers, won a high-scoring match to make it two in a row against Shizuoka BlueRevs, and it means that the Kobe Steelers have still lost just once this season. They remain third on the log as the two sides above them also were victorious this weekend, but they have extended their win streak to six.
They led 38-21 at halftime, having scored 6 tries, including a hat trick for Shunsuke Uenobo and one to captain Brodie Retallick, who now has 9 for the season and continues to lead the Division try-charts.
The Steelers sealed the win in the second half, even though the BlueRevs crossed the try line 9 times in the loss.
BlackRams Tokyo 6-13 Saitama Wild Knights; at Tokyo (Komazawa)
Saitama Wild Knights might have made it 21 wins in 22 against their hosts, BlackRams Tokyo, but it was a hard-fought win in the snow and rain in Tokyo, and the hosts deservedly earned a bonus point in the loss.
Captain Atsushi Sakate opened the scoring to keep his remarkable try-scoring tally going this season with 8, and is second on the charts for the Division. Ichigo Nakakusu scored a sole penalty for BlackRams to narrow the deficit to 3-10 at halftime.
The only points in the second half came from the boot of Takuya Yamasawa, who was adjudged Player of the Match for the victors, and Nakakusu slotting a second penalty in defeat.
The result means Saitama Wild Knights stay in pole position in Division 1, while the BlackRams are in 7th.
Mie Honda Heat 44-38 Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo; at Tochigi
Mie Honda Heat hosted 4th placed and defending champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, and caused the upset of the season by winning their second consecutive game and inflicting a second loss on Richie Mounga’s side, with another high-scoring 44-38 game.
Springbok Franco Mostert captained and was awarded POTM in the win as they led at the break 34-21 and held on to secure a famous win, which Head Coach Kieran Crowley can add to his resume of upset wins.
The Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo side was celebrating so many milestones, including the first appearance of Michael Leitch this season, the 50th cap for Teruo Makabe, and a debut for new signing Stephanus Du Toit, but the game belonged to Mie Honda Heat.
Pumas former captain, Pablo Matera, got the scoring going early on, and Dawid Kellerman scored a brace as they stunned the visitors and led 20-7. Ben Paltridge then added a brace of tries before the half as both Richie Mounga and Leitch scored for Brave Lupus.
Ryoma Nishimura extended the Mie Honda Heat’s lead in the second with their 6th try, but three tries in the final six minutes (one for Takeshi Sasaki, and two for Michael Collins) gave Todd Blackadder's side a bonus point and made the scoreline more respectable.
Toyota Verblitz 14-20 Yokohama Canon Eagles; at Aichi
The 11th and 12th-ranked sides saw the Yokohama Canon Eagles come out on top, which saw Toyota Verblitz rooted to the foot of the table and pile on more pain for former All Blacks coaches Ian Foster and Steve Hansen.
Toyota Verblitz led 7-3 at halftime in a low-scoring match with Siosaia Fifita scoring the only try. A second try for Nicholas McCurran and two scores to the visitors’ Randall Baker & Cormac Daly, as well as 10 points from Asahi Doei’s boot, secured the result.
The loss was not as bad as Vervlitz’s average of conceding 40 per game this season in defeat, but the loss at home will hurt as it's a first win for another former All Black in charge in Japan - Leon MacDonald - who up to now had tasted six straight defeats.
Previous encounters between the two have seen the margins decided by four points or less, and this was pretty close to that mark.
Kubota Spears 48-14 Urayasu D-Rocks; at Tokyo (Spears Edoriku Field)
Graham Rowntree’s side are now the 23rd team to leave Spears Edoriku Field in the League One era with a defeat as the Kubota Spears continued their good season.
Five first-half tries to the hosts, and a yellow card to the visiting side’s Semi Kerevi effectively meant the game was over by the half as Kubota Spears led 31-7.
The two teams' number 8’s combined for five of the game’s 10 tries, with Springbok Jasper Wiese getting both scores for the losing side, but Brave Blossoms Faulua Makisi grabbed all three of his team’s second-half tries.
Sunday February 8
Tokyo Sungoliath v Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars; at Tokyo (Chichibu)
The match was suspended due to snow.
Saturday February 7
Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks 14-16 Hanazono Kintetsu Liners; at Tokyo (Yumenoshima)
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners maintained their perfect record but had to do so so late, getting the win via an 80th-minute try by scrumhalf Kensho Kawamura to deny second-placed Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks a chance to go top of the Division.
The hosts had led 7-6 at the break thanks to a converted Ryota Noda try, with the Liners' points coming from Manie Libbok kicking tee. Two second-half tries got the result done with Hanazono Kintetsu Liners Kensho Kawamura the POTM.
Sunday February 8
Green Rockets Tokatsu v Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves; at Chiba
The match was suspended due to snow.
Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex 3-7 RedHurricanes Osaka; at Fukuoka
The weekend’s lowest scoring match saw 6th placed Electric Power Kyuden Voltex lose to RedHurricanes Osaka, who secured their first win this season, thanks to a first-half try for Taiki Yamaguchi who was also POTM. Two yellow cards for Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex in the second period didn't help their cause.
Saturday February 7
SkyActivs Hiroshima 40-14 Yakult Levins Toda; at Hiroshima
SkyActivs Hiroshima did stay well on top of the standings when they easily beat Yakult Levins Toda in Division Three. Taine Craig Ranga scored a brace of tries in the 40-14 win.
Sunday February 8
LeRIRO Fukuoka v Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions; at Fukuoka
The match was suspended due to snow.